Timora's roar shakes the frozen surface of Titan. The colossal beast towers in front of the station, wings of bone and slime flapping, one gigantic foot still planted in the sticky green puddle that used to be Steven.
Taze looks up, eyes wide. "Holy shit! That's one hell of a monster. We haven't fought anything this big in years. Kiara, shall we charge?"
Kiara flashes a crooked grin, drawing her laser swords. "Baby, we charge and tear this ugly bastard apart. Simple as that… but where the hell is Steven?"
Taze scans the area, tense. "Lasso, Steven's nowhere. It's just me and Kiara on the assault team right now. What do we do?"
Lasso shakes his head. "If the two of you attack that thing alone, it's suicide. Lana and I are coming with you. Right, Lana?"
Lana nods coldly, without a word.
Anna steps forward. "I'll fight too… I know I'm not a front-liner, but I'll do whatever I can."
Taze shakes his head hard. "No way, Anna. Don't risk yourself. We'll call if we need you. Kiara, let's go!"
Kiara winks at Anna. "Sorry, my love. Better if you just watch us for now. Don't worry, I'll try to stay sexy." She blows a kiss and sprints toward the monster. Both she and Taze draw laser pistols and blades.
Anna watches, face full of worry. "But… ugh! Lasso, don't tell me you agree with Taze…"
"I do, Anna. But stay ready. If things go south, jump in. Meanwhile, try to find Steven and raise Londo on comms."
Lana, Lasso, Taze, and Kiara charge with furious, eager expressions. Laser bolts rain on Timora. Lasso shows off insane combat skills, stabbing the creature's hand. Timora swats him away like a fly.
Kiara flips and somersaults, aiming for the head. "Take this, you ugly fuck!"
Lana stays silent, shooting every limb with deadly precision. Timora roars. The shockwave forces everyone back a step.
Taze keeps firing. "This fucking laser isn't doing shit! We need something heavier!"
From the rear, Anna opens a channel to Londo. "Colonel, can't you see this monster? Why are you and Kimberly still on the ship?"
Londo finally spots the beast on the monitors. "Kimberly, give us air support from the CIC! Missiles, anything! I'm going out there."
Londo leaps from the ship. "I hear you, Anna. On my way."
Lasso shouts mid-fight. "Steven! Make a sound! Where are you?!"
Lana, sweating and moving, snaps: "Forget that little shit. Focus on the monster."
Lasso nods with a half-smile. "Whatever you say, princess."
Timora spits disgusting green snowballs of acidic slime. Kiara yells: "Dodge or you'll be showering for a month!"
Londo lands, buries an axe deep in Timora's throat. Everyone stares. Lasso rolls his eyes. "Finally decided to show up…"
Timora screeches in pain, staggers, but still stands. Londo roars: "Full power, fire everything!"
From the back, Anna screams: "Steven! Where are you?! Fuck, did he die? Run? No… no way. God, I hate him!"
Inside Timora's body, Steven-as-raphesh flows through organs, melting everything. "Time to die, genetic mistake."
Cut to London.
Jin Tu Moon arrives on set. "Hey Chuma! How you doing? So… this is the girl I'm shooting with?"
"Exactly. Meet Laura. And Caitlyn is with her."
"Hi Caitlyn, pleasure." Jin extends his hand. Caitlyn smiles falsely while burning inside: Pleasure my ass.
Chuma grabs the scripts. "Alright, Laura, these are your lines. Jin, yours. Let's sell this perfume."
Jin grins. "Easy. Ready, Laura?"
Laura scans her single line: "This perfume will make you smell like blooming poppies in a field, and you'll feel like royalty."
She deadpans: "Pretty ridiculous line."
Chuma claps. "Not ridiculous! Poetic! Short and sweet. You're just the assist. Jin's the star."
Caitlyn slips away to the break room, rigs a bowl of acid to the ceiling. "Perfect. Once filming's done, he'll come here… and we'll have a private chat."
Her phone rings. Leonardo. She answers sweetly: "Yes, Leonardo? Kinda busy…"
He screams: "You have one hour to get to my office! Chaos here, and I'm not joking. If you're not here, you're in deep shit."
He hangs up. Caitlyn smiles. "One hour is plenty."
Chuma yells: "And… ACTION!"
Jin starts his pitch with full drama: "Friends, have you ever felt like you stink? Filthy? Like shit and rats? We all have. But here's your salvation: the new Kaatunchi perfume. It smells like heaven, angels will hover above you… and most importantly, people will finally come close instead of wanting to puke on you."
Chuma signals Laura. She delivers her line in perfect robotic monotone, orange lips glowing: "This perfume will make you smell like blooming poppies in a field, and you'll feel like royalty."
Jin sprays both of them, inhales dramatically. "Ahhh, yes! That's how the world should smell!"
Chuma shouts: "CUT! Wow wow wow! Jin, you were fire! Laura… decent, but damn you're hot, so it works. Where's Caitlyn? She missed the magic!"
Jin laughs. "Of course I was good. It's me, Chuma."
Laura walks off set without warning, enters the break room. "Caitlyn, we're done with this soulless commercial."
Caitlyn finishes setting the acid trap. "Perfect, babe. Now get him in here. Talk to him a little…"
Back on Titan.
Timora is on the verge of collapse. Everyone stabs and shoots relentlessly. Kimberly's voice blares over the speakers: "Something bad is about to happen! Get away from it!"
She fires missiles. Everyone backs off. The missiles hit. Timora staggers, groans: "I… am… tired…"
Then BOOM. The monster explodes in a massive green shockwave. Smoke and debris blind everyone.
Steven uses the chaos to reform instantly. Naked, perfect skin, standing calmly in the clearing smoke.
"Hi."
Total silence.
Taze: "You were inside that fucking monster?! It swallowed you?! How the hell are you alive… and how are you breathing without a suit?!"
Steven glances down at himself. "Shit…"
Anna from a distance: "There he is! Oh…"
She blushes crimson. "Wow… but how is he naked?!"
Londo marches over and punches Steven square in the face. Steven drops.
"That's for putting yourself inside that fucking beast! And here we go again, another conversation I have to have with you, the thousandth time this month…"
Lasso raises an eyebrow. "Steven… how are you breathing out here?"
Steven exhales calmly. "Okay. Looks like it's time to explain a few things…"
To be continued.